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LOGAN, Utah (AP) -- The head of Utah State University's music and theater departments says a recent decision to cancel a play that mentions incest was strictly a business decision.
Craig Jessop met last weekend with members of the Old Lyric Repertory Company to tell them "Ghosts of Ocean House" had been canceled as one of four stage productions for the summer series. Rehearsals had been going on for a week.
Jessop, the new interim director of the theater department, said the decision was difficult. He said the play had mature subject matter and he didn't think it would do well with a broader audience.
"When I was asked to take this on, one of my first responsibilities was to find a way to make the theater pay for itself ... and we need to get bodies in seats," Jessop said.
Jessop, the former music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, said he would have no problem with the play being performed at one of the theater department's other venues.
"It's not that I'm opposed to the play," Jessop said. "But there are hundreds of thousands of plays out there to choose from, and this didn't seem right for the Lyric Theatre. You have to know your audience."
"Ghosts of Ocean House" is described in promotional literature as a combination thriller and ghost story that was nominated for a 2007 Edgar Award as the best mystery of the year.
Incest is not a central theme of the play, said Colin Johnson, director of the production and former head of the theater department.
He said he and Jessop have "agreed to disagree" over the decision to pull the play.
"He is perfectly within his right to make the decision, and it's a decision for the benefit of the company," Johnson said.
The play will be replaced by "An Inspector Calls," a mystery performed at the Lyric in the past that had considerable success.
Leslie Aldridge, who was cast for one of the lead roles in "Ghosts of Ocean House," said she was disappointed to miss the acting opportunity, but said she respects Jessop's decision.
"He has to think about the business end of the thing, and with the economy the way it is, it's probably not wise to push any buttons," she said.
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Information from: The Herald Journal
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
